Mixed textile fabric



UNI-TED STATE TEXTILE ERIC of Delaware No Drawing. Application June 2'7, 19%,

Serial No. 732,620

2Claims. (cl. 139-426) This invention relates to the production of a fabric that has the appearance of a worsted wool fabric from a worsted wool-appearing yarn that is formed by the woolen method from a mixture of wool fibers and artificial fibers.

An object of the invention is the economic and expeditious production of yarns and fabrics that have the appearance of worsted wool yarns and fabrics by the woolen method of spinning; An-

other object of the invention is the production of yarns and fabrics that have the appearance of worsted wool yarns and fabrics without employing worsted machinery or necessarily wool suitable for worsted yarn. Other objects of the invention will appear from the following detailed description.

There is a great need for light weight fabrics forboth mensyand womens summer wear. This need is satisfied in part by 10 oz. to 7 oz. wool worsteds. These light weight worsteds, however,

must be formed from selected wool fibers and by an expensive worsted process in which there is a great loss of wool. Thus the resulting material is too expensive to be used except in the very most expensive suits and clothing and can only be purchased in a few localities in the world.

Prior to this invention, the only way that these fine light weight fabrics could be made with the existing conversion machinery was through the use of the very "finest fibers, namely 80s, with but a very minute proportion of coarser fibers. In the separation of the 80s from the raw fieece and the combing of these fine fibers for spinning the yarn, a large proportion were torn and brok- 35, en and in that state could be used only for woolen yarns. The difference in woolen yarn and'worsted yarn, both in the appearance and method of forming, may be found in the text books on wool fabrication. Further, by the existing worsted 40 methods the wool fibers are robbed of over 60% of their natural strength.

By this invention, light weight fabrics having the appearance of worsted fabrics and other desirable properties not present in a worsted wool 45 fabric may be formed. The fabric is formed withan intermolecular change, can be removed on wetting out the fabric. This is, of course, due to the intra-crystalline elastic change, and any crease that is produced is necessarily accompanied by the stretching of the keratin molecule on one side, 5 and compression on the other side of the fiber. When, however, a worsted appearing fabric is formed according to, this invention, a permanent crease may be imparted thereto, which is not removed upon becoming wet, such as by per- 10 spiration and damp atmospheric conditions met with in the summer months. Further, fabric formed according to this invention islunshrinkable under ordinary conditions and is unaffected by perspiration, etc. given off from the body. 15.

According to my invention I prepare a worsted appearing yarn or fabric by the woolen methods of spinning and by the incorporation into the yarn of artificial fibers. The proportions of artificial fibers to wool may be in the ratio of 50:50 to 20 95:5. However, exceptional results are obtained with a ratio'of about 70 parts artificial fiber to about 30 parts wool fiber.

The artificial fibers may be formed of any suitable material such as reconstituted cellulose, 25 formed by the cuprammonium or viscose methods, cellulose nitrate or de-esterified cellulose nitrate and more particularly of the organic esters and ethers of cellulose which have the property of blending with the wool fiber in such a way 30 i as to"give the appearance of an all wool yarn in the finished product. Examples of organic esters of cellulose are cellulose acetate, cellulose formate, cellulose propionate and cellulose butyrate, while examples of cellulose ethers are methyl cellulose; ethyl cellulose and benzyl cellulose.

The artificial fibers may be formed by any suitable method, for example, by extruding an organic ester of cellulose dissolved in a volatile solvent through suitable orifices into a solidifying medium, thus forming substantially continuous filaments. A plurality of these filaments as they are formed, or from a plurality of packages. may be grouped together or formed into a band, processed by applying thereto efiect materials and by embossing to form crimps, and cut or torn to suitable length. Fibers from 2.5 to 12 inches in length may be employed in forming the yarns. However, it is preferred to use fibers from 4 inches to 7 inches in length for most types of yarn. The

filaments may be formed to any desired denier and preferably to a denier approximating the 7 h or have applied as a coating suitable effect materials such as pigments, filling materials, dyes or lakes, fire retardants, plasticizers, sizes, lubricants etc. These eifect materials may be applied to the yarn as a coating during formation or any winding operation, with or without the aid of swelling agents for the derivative of cellulose base, or they may be dispersed through the fibers by incorporating the effect material in the spinning solution from which the filaments are formed.

Any type of animal fiber may be employed, for example, Merino (Australian and South American), Merino-Lincoln, Southdown, Lincoln, Shetland, Cashmere, Camel, etc. These wools may vary in length and crimpiness depending upon the locality in which the sheep were raised. The lengths may be from inch to 12 inches. Any suitable diameter or grade of fibers may be employed. Thus, worsted appearing yarns maybe formed employing fine, half blood and three eights or under U. S. Ofilcial Standard, 80's to 50s or carpet stock grade of fibers or mixtures of these. Thus, grades and lengths of wool may be employed to form worsted appearing yarns which could not heretofore be employed.

In processing the yarns, it is preferable to open up the staple artificial fibers, which may be coated with a wool fiber lubricant in a volatile or nonvolatile, aqueous or non-aqueous carrier, on the first breaker of a carding device. The artificial staple fiber may then be mixed with the wool fiber in any suitable manner and the mixture oiled, picked, opened up and carded 'by the woolen method and without the gill-box" and combing devices employed in normally forming worsted yarns. From the carding devices the roving, containing an intimate mixture of wool and artificial fibers, may be placed on a mule-type spinning device and spun into yarn. The spinning device is preferably set such that the drawing action is less than that normally employed in working an all wool yarn.

The yarn thus formed is of an even and small diameter, tightly twisted, strong and in every visible property similar to an all worsted wool thread. These threads with or without additional twist, hank dyeing etc. may be employed as both warp and weft and woven into a. fabric. The fabric produced may be sintered, singed and otherwise processed as an all wool fabric to produce a fabric which appears to be a worsted fabric. The presence of about wool fibers in the fabric gives the fabric the appearance of wool and also acts to fully protect and shield the artificial fibers in singeing, sintering and other operations required to finish the product.

Either one or both the artificial fiber or the wool fibers may be dyed in the fiber stage. As separate dyes are required in dyeing these two fibers, many novel effects may be gained by dyeing one in the fiber and the other in the piece.

It is to be understood that the foregoing detailed description is merely given by way of illustration and many alterations may be made therein without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having described my invention what I desire to secure by Letters Patent is.

1. A worsted appearing fabric containing woolen-type yarns made from 30% wool fibers and 70% artificial fibers containing cellulose acetate.

2. A light weight worsted appearing fabric containing woolen-type yarns made from 30% wool fibers of a grade finer than s and artificial fibers containing cellulose acetate.

LEON w. WEINBERG. 

